The Templer Lab focuses on the effects of environmental change, including air pollution, climate change, land use change, and urbanization on forest ecosystems. We explore how plant-microbial interactions influence nitrogen retention and forest productivity within natural and managed ecosystems. We currently work in temperate forests of the northeastern United States, redwood forests of California, and tropical forests of Mexico and Puerto Rico and focus on three major themes within plant and ecosystem ecology:

Effects of climate change, particularly in the winter months, on nutrient cycling, productivity, and health of northern forest ecosystems.

The interaction between plant species composition and ecosystem nitrogen retention in temperate and tropical forests.

Effects of urbanization on nutrient cycling, water and air quality.

Much of our work is done in collaboration with scientists at other institutions and universities. Take a look at our research page to get more information about our projects. I welcome the participation of students in the lab and will accept graduate students for the fall 2015 semester. Please notify me if you are interested in working in the lab as a high school student, undergraduate, graduate student or postdoc.